Thief Level Seven

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The thief looked left and right, then jumped over the fairly high fence. He slowly approached the window, took a screwdriver and other tools that had been prepared. He looked left and right again, paused for a moment to catch his breath, then rushed to break the window. In a matter of seconds, the window could be entered.

Being a thief has indeed become his profession. He really enjoys his job. Approaching the holidays, he has to be more careful. Not only to the residents, but more to the surrounding community. He prefers and chooses to steal in luxury housing, there is no guard from the residents. They rely more on security guards to guard him.

As a thief, he does not want to conspire with fellow thieves. It is very risky and dangerous. If his friend is caught, he will also automatically be caught or at least become a fugitive. By the police, he is classified as a third-level thief, a thief who has never been caught. It seems that the police already have a list of first-level and second-level thieves.

First-level thieves are actually snatchers who often operate in markets or crowded places, while second-level thieves are thieves who intercept their victims in quiet places. He didn't know if there were any levels of thieves above level three. If there were, it was certain that they would be much more powerful than him.

The Javanese primbon that he studied, he believed that Tuesday Kliwon or Friday Kliwon night was the right time to carry out his action. He also did not forget to always pray before carrying out his action.
"Oh... God, make it easy for me to carry out theft, protect me, don't let me get caught, 2.5% of the proceeds I get will be donated to the mosque or orphanage."

He had been observing the house that would be his target for several days. The house was quite luxurious, two-story, located in a housing complex with relatively few guards. The only occupants were two, an elderly man, he estimated his age to be over 70 years old and a young woman who was much younger than him. He did not know whether the woman was his wife, his mistress or his daughter.

That night, the only occupant was the man himself, the young woman who usually accompanied him to go out with the young man in a classy car that was usually parked in front of his house. The room on the second floor looked dim, meaning the man in the room was already in bed. It was not too difficult for him to enter his house through the window that had been opened. He closed the window again. On the first floor, he saw the items there. A fairly large TV, maybe 70-79 inches, a standing clock about 2 meters high protected by teak wood and other household furniture. He was not interested in taking them. The items were too big. Indeed, he only intended to take small but quite valuable items. Whether watches, rings, gold, money or others. Basically, anything that was easy to carry. He was sure the valuables were on the 2nd floor, in the occupant's room. Slowly he headed to the 2nd floor. He felt the gun in his jacket. He saw the room half open. Slowly, the door was pushed. He saw a man lying on the bed. On the table were scattered items: cellphones, laptops, banknotes, watches, ashtrays with cigarette butts, medicines, snacks, a half-empty cup of coffee.

He headed to the closet not far from him while still watching the man lying down. Suddenly the man on the bed groaned and opened his eyes. His right hand slipped under the pillow, as if he was going to take something.
"Don't move," he said. When he said it, his intonation was very calm as if someone was talking. A 38mm caliber pistol was pointed at the man.
"Raise your hands!"
The man got up and sat on the bed and raised his right hand above his head.
"Raise both hands."
The man still raised one of his right hands.
"I'll count to three times, one, two, three. Quick! Now!"
"I can't lift my left hand." He answered.
"Why?"
"My left shoulder is rheumatic, almost paralyzed."
For a moment, the thief stood still, moving the gun to his left arm.
"Ouch." The thief screamed and winced in pain.

The man looked at the thief's face. Whether he believed it or not, the thief's face showed a look of pain when he moved his gun.
"If you want to steal, why don't you just do it? Take what you want. I can't fight you. You have taken my gun, besides I am too old to fight.”
The thief glanced at the drawer. He looked at the man on his bed. Suddenly he winced again, holding back the pain.

“We seem to have the same fate.”
“My left hand is also rheumatic. That disease has been familiar to me for a long time.” The thief continued.
The thief dragged a chair not far from him and sat facing the man. Sitting not too close, the barrel of the gun was still pointed at him.
“Anyone will shoot you immediately when you don’t raise both your hands. Except me, of course.”
“Just put your gun away. I can’t possibly fight you.”
The thief put his gun and the gun belonging to the man in front of him into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"How long have you been sick?" The old man asked.

"Four years. I still have it now. Once you have rheumatism, you will have rheumatism for life. At least that's what I believe."

"Right. You're absolutely right."

"Alright, since we share the same fate, I'll cancel my intention to steal."

"Thank you. How about we chat over coffee tonight."

The thief nodded. The old man took two cups and filled them with coffee from a thermos that was already available.

"By the way, how long have you been a thief?"
"Almost five years."
"Have you ever been caught."
"No, never. Hopefully I won't get caught. If I get caught, I'd rather be caught by the police than by the public."

"Do you enjoy being a thief?"
"Yes.., I enjoy it. It seems like stealing has become a calling. At least once a month I definitely steal. Whether it's Tuesday Kliwon night or Friday Kliwon night."
"To the point where there's a time calculation when stealing?"
“Yes, that’s right. I read the Javanese primbon. I even read mantras.”

“Then, what do you use the money you earn for?”
“Yes.., for your family. Especially when it’s close to Eid, the kids want new clothes, the wife wants to wear a gold bracelet and other necessities. Oh yeah…, I donate 2.5% of the proceeds from the thefts I earn to the mosque or orphans.”
“Wow, I still remember the mosque and orphans.”

“If you’re unlucky enough to get caught by the community, you’ll definitely be beaten up by a crowd. You’ll probably be nothing more than a name. What about your wife and children? Think of another job.”
“Yes… that’s right. I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Do you know how many levels of thieves there are?”
“As far as I know, there are only three, and I’m at the third level, a thief who has never been caught by the police.”
“Wow, great.”
“But, I think, one day the thief could be caught by the police and the public. Isn’t there a saying that says no matter how clever a squirrel is at jumping, it will fall down once in a while. Is that right? Unless?”
“Unless what?”
“Unless it’s done by a level seven thief, the highest level thief.”
“Wow, I just found out.”
“May I know who the level seven thief is?”
“Quite a lot or even a lot of level seven thieves. One of them is me.”

The thief stared at the man in front of him. Between believing and not believing. How could a fragile man over 70 years old claim to be a level 7 thief. He already had difficulty walking.

"Surely you don't believe it, how could a man like me be a level seven thief."
"Do you know who built the largest sports stadium in this city? Do you know who built the largest mall in this city? How much did it cost?"

The thief shook his head.
"Of course the project is an official, it could be a regional head, whether a regent, mayor, governor or other official."

He stared at the thief's face before continuing his story.
"How do you get the project? How much fee should be given to officials and law enforcers?"
"I can't possibly be caught by law enforcers. What's important is how I have to be clever at dividing projects to officials and law enforcers."

"You mean to get projects you have to give tribute to government officials and law enforcers?"
"Yes... that's how it has to be."
"So those officials are level seven thieves?"
"Yes... that's how it is."

The thief sat there in a daze. It never occurred to him that the man sitting opposite him was a level seven thief, an old man who was already fragile but could control officials and law enforcers.

The man took all the money in the drawer. He saw that the thief was still sitting in contemplation.
"Take it."
"Now go home. I have countless money in various banks. Don't forget to donate it to the mosque or orphans as you promised."
"Next month, don't hesitate to come again, later I will take you around to see the properties I own in various regions."

He also just found out that quite a few regents, mayors, governors and government officials were level seven thieves like the old man.

The thief went home with his head down. There was a feeling of anxiety in my heart. The proud level three thief turned out to be nothing. He was determined to become a level seven thief, learning from the old man.